County: Kilkenny Site name: PARKSGROVE 1
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 99E0597
Author: Paul Stevens for Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: Burnt mound and Metalworking site
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 643464m, N 670531m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.784048, -7.355696
This site was revealed during archaeological monitoring of a Bord Gáis Éireann gas pipeline development (No. 426Excavations 1999). The site is in Parksgrove townland, 1.5km south-west of Ballyragget, within the western flood-plain of the River Nore. Excavation of the site within the wayleave corridor was carried out between July and August 1999 before development.
Ironworking site
The site centred on a small, circular pit, cutting natural boulder clay subsoil and possibly used as a furnace bowl for ironworking. It was 1.2m in diameter and 0.3m deep and was filled with a stony clay containing iron slag and charcoal. Associated with but post-dating this was a large, thin, circular spread of hard, mixed, orange, coarse sand and clay, with some fire-cracked limestone, also containing a number of iron nail fragments. The spread measured 15m north-south by 9m+, was 0.18m deep and continued west of the excavation area.
Within the site, and cutting the ironworking pit and spread, was a large linear gully, orientated south-west/north-east (continuing to the west), which turned east and terminated with a V-shaped profile and rounded terminus. The ditch was otherwise concave in profile, 1.6m wide and 0.45m deep, and contained a clay fill and burnt mound material. This was sealed by a subcircular spread of burnt mound material also extending under the west baulk, measuring 10m north-south by 8m+ and 0.3m deep. The spread was heavily truncated by later ploughing and may have been deliberately pushed into the ditch.
A number of fragments of iron objects, slag and charcoal suggested use of the site for ironworking. However, stray finds from the site, including a fragment of clay pipe, modern porcelain and a modern padlock, suggest substantial modern intrusion.
Burnt mound
Eight metres to the north of the ironworking site was a small spread of charcoal-rich soil, fire-cracked stone (90% sandstone/10% limestone) and silt, possibly representing a separate burnt mound or the continuation of the above feature. This mound measured 2m east-west by 4m and 0.15m deep and continued to the west of the excavation. It cannot be ruled out that this is a separate burnt mound or Bronze Age fulacht fiadh site.
2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin
